


a mere toy

by mintcream



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blood, Death, Dress Up, Fire Torture, Kidnapping, Kissing, Knifeplay, Not Beta Read, Possibly Cannibalism?, Sorry Not Sorry, Torture, Violence, Vomiting, alternating povs, brief romance, like super brief, non con elements, one sided infatuation, semi happy ending?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:15:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25222258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mintcream/pseuds/mintcream
Summary: There should be a limit to how much paina person is forced to endure during their lifetime.Minho wasn't sure how much more pain he could take.--or--3racha kidnaps Minho, and tortures him in a variety of ways.
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	a mere toy

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!~ I haven't written in a while, so I made this  
> to hopefully start getting into writing again...  
> Excuse any mistakes, I'm no English major.  
> Anyways, this fic isn't for you if  
> these make you squeamish:  
> -bloodiness  
> \--death  
> -descriptions of torture;  
> \--like knifes and burning  
> -boys kissing  
> Please read the tags.  
> Disclaimer: This is obviously fiction.  
> I love skz so much, this isn't meant to  
> harm them in anyway.

Eyes slowly focusing on the metal bars before him, through barred vision he sees he might be in a storage room of some sort. How he ended up here he’s not too sure.

“Finally awake are we?” His head follows the voice, consciousness threatened at his movement. The sudden dizziness disappears just as quickly as it came. “Lee Minho, we were worried you’d never come to.” A hand runs through dark red hair, smoothly like the smile appearing on his face.

_Chan?_

His suspicions are confirmed when a chestnut haired fellow walks in with round eyes full of awe. _Is that Han Jisung? There’s no way._

“Channie hyung, I can play with him _now_ , right?” The man’s eyes continue to scan Minho’s body, as if he’s looking for something. Feeling uncomfortable, Minho unconsciously brings his legs into his chest securing them into place with his arms. 

“Didn’t you lose the game earlier? Binnie gets him first.” Chan chuckles, pinching Jisung’s cheek. 

“But, Changbin hyung isn’t even here!” He whines. 

Minho isn’t sure if he heard him right. If the missing man is Seo Changbin, what the hell are they doing here? Minho blinks a few times before realizing the real question. What is he doing here? Inside a cage, with two of 3racha on the other side. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration, trying to recall his last memories. 

“Good to see you’re finally up. You were out of it for longer than expected. We’ll be back later, Mr. Lee.” Chan eyes him while Jisung clings to his side. 

Jisung pouts, eyes set on Minhos’. “Do I reeeally need to wait for Binnie hyung?” 

“Yes, Ji. Now let’s go.” Chan starts pulling Jisung towards the stairs that lead to the exit. “You can see him again after Bin comes back.” 

Minho watches as Jisung is thrown over the taller man’s shoulders like a sack of rice and they disappear up the stairs, taking Jisung’s whines with them. 

He doesn’t understand why he’s here. He’s not tied up, but the cage he’s in is locked. He looks around and it looks like a normal basement (minus the large rectangular cage he’s in). There’s a metal table against the wall to his right and a large pad locked freezer next to it. Along the wall to his left are a variety of power tools, sports equipment like golf clubs and baseball bats, leading towards the stairs. Directly across from the cage, was a pink fur curtain.

Leaning back onto the concrete wall behind him, he searches his memories. He was at the Entertainment Awards after party. Many were congratulating him on the most recent work he directed, including Chan. 3racha performed at the award show and naturally were invited to the after party. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t remember anything past Chan introducing himself. 

Minho rises from his spot and begins pushing on random bars of the cage door. He tries lifting it too, but the cage, as predicted, doesn’t budge. 

“How the fuck do I get out of here?” He mumbles, slumping back to the ground, after his lame attempt at escaping. He notices he’s been changed out of his formal wear, and is now wearing baggy blue shorts and a matching baggy shirt. He shudders at the thought of someone seeing him naked without his consent. 

Chan did say they’d come back. If they open the cage, maybe he’ll be able to run out then.

He wakes up cold, too cold. When did he fall asleep? Looking down he notices he’s naked, and on a table. The cool metal against his skin causes a shiver to run down his spine. A pain pricks his wrists when he tries to sit up, causing him to yelp. Wrists cuffed and arms spread out away from his body. His eyes go wide in panic, he unintentionally yanks his wrists again and there’s another sharp pain. Pain attacks his ankles as well, when he moves his legs. 

“I’d stop moving if I were you.” Minho tilts his head up, seeing a blond haired man smiling down at him, obviously humored. “The more you move, the more painful it gets.” He walks towards Minho’s waist, drawing circles around his belly button with his finger. Goosebumps rise along with the fear Minho is struggling to keep down. He uncaps the small bottle in his hand and drips liquid on the traced area around Minho’s belly button.

“Seo Changbin. Nice to meet you Lee Minho. I’m a huge fan of all your works, thanks to Jisung.” He smiles wickedly. It’s hard for Minho to believe, a man that has him naked and strapped to a table is a fan of his melodramas. “Now, don’t move or else,” there’s a lighter in his hand and the small flame lit. “You might cause an accident.” Before he can fully register what is happening, the lighter is moved to his stomach and he’s on fire. 

He screams, it’s a small sting, but the fact that he’s literally on fire is terrifying. Changbin’s hand slams down on the fire and the man starts laughing, rubbing his hand over Minho’s stomach. 

“Since that was the first time, I’ll let it go.” The laughter slides off his face, as he drips more liquid down Minho’s thigh. “No more screaming. If Jisung thinks I’m torturing you, I’ll never hear the end of it. I’m not torturing you. This is fun, right? A high intensity activity that we both can enjoy, right?” Changbin raises an eyebrow, lips quirk up menacingly. 

Minho isn’t sure how to respond, he’s too scared to speak. Changbin’s crazy. He’s pretty sure fear is evident in his face. This isn’t fun. He wants to leave. His body twitches in accordance with his desire, and there's a sharper pain that shoots through his limbs. He grunts at the pain, quickly biting his lips when he hears the lighter turned on again. There’s a familiar warmth on his skin, intensity of the heat slowly rising. 

“I already told you. The more you move the more painful it gets. The level of electricity that shocks you increases in pain _and_ radius everytime you move.” He laughs, gaze shifting from Minho’s eyes, to the burning fire.

It’s starting to hurt, badly. Minho chokes out a sob, tears trickle freely. He looks at the man watching his thigh burn, smiling disgustingly at his work. It’s sickening. 

Changbin picks up a bucket and empties its contents onto Minho’s lower body. He winces as icy water rushes over him. His thigh is now burning in a completely different way. He doesn’t even want to look. He quickly tried to even out his breathing, he hadn’t noticed his chest was heaving. 

He shudders when he feels lips press around pain on his thigh. The other man smiles down at him, looking too satisfied it makes Minho want to hurl. Changbin walks past the foot of the table and Minho sees the fur curtain has been drawn back. There’s a variety of bottles on one side, clothing on the other. Keys and cuffs are lined in the middle separating the sides. Changbin grabs the blue key king, and promptly unlocks the cuffs around Minho’s ankles, followed by his wrists. 

Minho weakly brings shaky hands towards his face to examine the marks the red scorch marks around his wrists. “That wasn’t too bad, now as it?” Minho isn’t sure what caused him to do it, but as soon as those words left Changbin’s mouth, he sprang up, and swung as hard as he could at Changbin’s head. His knuckles cracked uncomfortably on impact, but he disregarded the feeling. He just wanted to get away from this man. While Changbin nurtured his face, he rolls off the table, and wobbles his way to the exit. He should’ve known better. He couldn’t even take two steps on his shaky legs.

His hair is yanked, and he falls onto his ass. Changbin slams his head down, and the clash with the concrete floor blurs his vision. “Fuck.” Minho exhales. Changbin is yelling at him but he can’t make out the words. Each shout was in time with the blows to Minho’s body. The last thing he sees is a blur of feet scurrying into view. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“If he doesn’t wake up within the next hour, I’m burning you _alive_ Changbin.” Jisung hissed. 

“You’ve waited this long. A little longer isn’t going to kill you.” Changbin rolled his eyes as he flipped through the television channels. 

“No,” Jisung pushed himself from the wall he was leaning on, walking towards the blond casually sprawled across the bed. “But, waiting longer could get _you_ killed.” 

“Is that a threat?” Changbin sat up, raising an eyebrow at the youngest. “Try me Jisung, we’ll see who’ll get killed.” 

“Okay, guys. Calm down. He’s stirring a bit.” Chan huffs out. His two best friends argue too much for his liking. But, he loves them and they all love what they do. “Look, he should wake up soon Ji.” Chan motions Jisung to look at the screen, showing the basement. 

“Thank goodness. I get to play with him soon right?” 

Chan laughs, “Yes, of course. You’re next.” Jisung has been so eager to play with Minho. Kidnapping Minho was entirely the younger’s idea. 

Minho has directed countless dramas, and Jisung has loved every single one of them. He had even forced Changbin and Chan to watch them with him. Jisung had wanted to meet him, however even with 3racha’s connections it was near impossible to find him. Minho lived a very secluded life, interestingly enough despite the popularity he has obtained. He was rarely in the public eye, and did not allow many people near him. That is until two months ago when he was finally exposed to the public. 

There was a large scandal of being caught on a date with a famous model turned actor. After the scandal, Minho had begun attending events, no one knew why there was a sudden change. So, Chan was able to help Jisung track the director down. They managed to perform at the Entertainment Awards and execute their plan. 

“Hyung, can I go play with him now?” 

“Ji, don’t you think we should make sure he doesn’t have a concussion first?” 

“And how are you gonna get a doctor up here by the time he wakes up, hmm? Are you _really_ gonna make me wait longer, hyung?” Jisung asks with a bit of an edge to his voice that alerts Chan, Jisung is close to hurting someone. 

“Okay Ji. Just be gentle with him until we can get him checked, okay?”

“Of course! I’m not _Changbin_.” 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

When Minho wakes again, he finds himself propped up against something fluffy. He snuggles his face into it a bit more, rubbing his cheek against the softness. He groans at the throbbing of his head, as his eyes struggle to open against the brightness.

“Finally...why do you take so long to wake up?” Minho peers over at the voice. _Han Jisung...?_ “I’ve been wanting to play with you for a while now. I nearly killed Changbin for what he did to you.” Jisung leans across the small square table between them to caress Minho’s cheeks. “It _won’t_ happen again.” Jisung smiles sweetly and in that second Minho wonders if he’s just as crazy as Changbin. Instantly, Changbin setting his leg on fire is brought back to the forefront of his mind. His thigh burns again at the memory. 

“Here you go.” He blinks, attention back on Jisung at the sound of his voice. “You know, I’ve been wanting to meet you for _such_ a long time.” Minho watches as the man pours liquid from the tea pot into a little floral teacup on the table. He lifts his hand to touch his throbbing head, the pain drowns out Jisung’s voice. 

He glances around and sees the curtains still drawn back. Clothes are strewn about in front of the space. Nervousness settles in once the teacups are filled and Jisung’s eyes are focused solely on him. He pulls his knees into his chest, noticing he’s not wearing his shirt and shorts. His attire has been replaced with a soft pink lolita type dress. There’s white two tiers of lace ruffles at the bottom of his dress, pink bows atop the lace circling the dress. He rakes his eyes up seeing he has soft pink puffed sleeves, a white lace bodice. _How the fuck did they dress me in this?_

“Your dress is pretty, isn’t it? I bought it because I just _knew_ it’d look perfect on you.” Jisung reaches across the small table once more, this time with his finger, tracing from Minho’s temple to his chin. “You look like a porcelain doll, it’s unbelieve how beautiful you are.” 

Minho isn’t sure how to respond. He feels frustration building inside of him. Is he just a toy for 3racha? He glances towards the exit. There’s no one else in the room, he could make a run for it. 

“Drink up,” Jisung demands his attention again. Minho doesn’t make any move to touch his drink, only staring blankly at the other. _When would be the best time to run?_ “ _Really_ ,” Suddenly the air turns icy, a chill runs down his spine. “Drink up. There's company at 6, I need to get ready soon.” 

Minho doesn’t even know what time it is, nor what day it is, or how long he’s been here. He just knows bad things keep occurring one after the next. 

Jisung smiles as he watches Minho bring the cup to his lips. Minho hesitates, can he trust it’s not poison? “Just dr-” Jisung’s words are cut off by the hot liquid Minho throws towards his face, and the porcelain teacup that shatters on Jisung’s forehead. Rather than yell, he hears Jisung sigh deeply. 

Minho rises from his spot as quickly as he can, and runs. His vision gets a little fuzzy, he can’t tell if he’s running straight or not. His legs feel like cinder blocks, he stumbles over his dress and his knees hit the ground. The throbbing in his head feels like it’s weighing him down. He rises again clusimly, fumbling towards the exit. 

There’s a tug on his dress, causing him to lose balance once again. Then, a weight on his back. “Where are you going _darling_ ?” Minho’s vision is still fuzzy, but he hears the anger in Jisung’s voice clearly. “Did I give you permission to leave the table?” He can register a faint prick on his neck, “ I don’t care how much I love you. If you do _anything_ without my permission, you’ll regret it.” Minho begins shivering violently. He's terrified. He has no clue what’s happening anymore. It feels like the blood is being drained from his body, he feels so cold. He can’t hear Jisung anymore, he can’t see anymore. His thoughts are leaving him too. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Fuck, why would you use _that_ serem on him? Especially when you said there was a possibility of a concussion?” Chan sighs, remembering Jisung saying Minho shouldn’t have disobeyed him. 

“I just need to know his chances of surviving, Doc?” Chan asks. He really could care less if Minho dies or not, but Jisung. Despite Minho’s 2 days of unconsciousness being caused by their youngest, Jisung _still_ wants Minho alive. 

“He’ll survive, considering you’ve been keeping him warm in those blankets and injecting those fluids into him. I would recommend putting him on a bed, rather than that hard ass concrete. But, I think he’ll wake up tonight or tomorrow.” Chan blows out a puff of breath. “Relieved to hear that answer, Channie?” The doctor laughs loudly. “What? Has the brat been hard to handle recently?” 

Chan glances at the camera installed in the basement. He knows it can’t pick up sound, but he’s still cautious of Jisung hearing. “It’s not tha-” 

“Chan, he injected serem that shouldn’t have been used on someone _this_ weak. It’s for when y’all go on your trips, you know that.” Yes, Chan does know that, but Jisung does what he wants. “Well whatever, as long as I get paid my usual.” The doctor wiggles his eyebrows, holding out his hand. 

“Of course, of course.” Chan leads the man out of the large cage they are in, locking it behind him. Then, he makes his way to the freezer, unlocking it and pulling out a medium sized box. “Here you go, Doc.” 

“Fresh?” 

“Yup! Cut and cleaned just this week. Right before Mr. Lee got here.” 

The doctor laughs, “Excellent. Do you have any new ones coming in?”

“Binnie’s bringing in an actor tonight. Oh! Ji brought in an athlete tonight. But, he accidentally killed her on the way here.” Chan rolls his eyes, “So, he’s preparing her in the kitchen right now. She should be ready soon. Did you want a piece of her?” 

“Nah, it’s okay. And you know damn well, that boy doesn’t kill anyone by accident.”

Chan merely shrugged, no matter how mad Jisung has gotten at Chan or Changbin he’s never killed them. So, he’s never minded that he kills others. It’s a hobby they have, something to enjoy together. They use their connections to lure in fans, B-list and under celebrities, then kill and sell their flesh and meat for profit. How each of them kill is their own preference, whether it be a slow torture or quick one and done. 

“Well I better get going, before I overstay my visit.” 

“We’ll be in touch, Doc.” Leading the man through the basement exit, to the front door which is a mere couple steps to the right. 

“How many times do I need to tell you, you can just call me F-”

“You’re on the clock.” Chan promptly cuts him off. The doctor has seemingly had a crush on Chan for a while, but he’s just not interested. “We’ll be in touch.” Chan winks, as he’s closing the front door. Changbin’s voice rings from the driveway, so Chan peeks out into the darkness for his friend. 

“Hyungie! I got him!” Changbin giggles. Chan rolls his eyes. He’ll never understand why Changbin turns into a child whenever he’s in his murder mode, and quite a while after. 

“Well bring him in, Bin-”

“Ah!” Changbin drops the large duffle bag he was holding, wrapping the doctor into his arms. “It’s been a while!” He giggles again, “I’ve missed you, Fe-” 

“Changbin,” Chan grits through his teeth, “Get inside. Now.” 

Changbin jumps away from the doctor, shoulders slumping. He raises his hand, gesturing the number one, “Just one kiss...please Hyungie?” 

“One.” Changbin turns to quickly kiss the doctor’s freckled cheek, giggles as he lifts the duffle bag once more and skips inside, disappearing down the basement stairs. “Sorry about him.” 

“It’s okay, it’s cute.” 

“Of course it is.” Chan scoffs, giving a curt wave, then closes the door before following Changbin down the stairs. 

“Binnie?” 

“Hyungie, come look!” Changbin turns around, holding a bloodied arm, still dripping red. 

“Hey, don’t make a mess. It’s a pain in the ass to clean the concrete,” Chan scolds. 

Changbin pouts, dropping the arm back into the duffle bag. 

Chan sighs, walking over to his pal, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him closer to his side. “Good job, Binnie.” Changbin visibly relaxes into Chan’s side, resting his head onto the elder’s shoulder. “Why hasn’t the blood fully dried yet?” 

“I was thinking maybe I could keep them like we’re keeping Minho!” Changbin snaps his head up to face Chan, eyes sparkling, “But, then the bastard bit me in the car. He woke up much quicker than anticipated. So, now I have to clean my car tonight.” 

“I see.” Chan hums, “Wait... _them_? Didn’t you only have one target?” 

“Yes…but,” Changbin bends down and lurches his hands inside the duffle bag.

“But?” Chan knows whatever Changbin has can’t be good. 

“My target was playing with someone when I approached him, so I just snagged them both.”

“Bin...who’s the other one?” 

Changbin pulls a body from the large duffle bag, Chan wonders if that’s why he had cut up the other human, to make room for the other. The body is covered in blood, _Maybe that one put up a fight too._ Chan inwardly curses as Changbin drags the bloodied body further out of the bag and plopping it onto the ground. 

“He looks familiar…” 

“He does, doesn’t he, Hyungie?” Changbin’s smile is far too amused, much more like his usual self. “I was thinking since we’ll be gone for a week, he could keep Minho company.” He giggles, reaching for the cage keys. 

“Shouldn’t we tell Jisung first? If that guy does anything to Minho, Jisung will lose it.” 

“Nah,” Changbin shakes his head, dumping the body into the cage. Large blood droplets spill onto the concrete, very much like Chan despises. “I’m positive this little guy won’t do anything.” Changbin smirks, giving Chan an uneasy feeling. 

“Hyungs…” 

They both see Jisung walking towards them, wet blood dripping from his sweater sleeves. 

“Do you both _not_ understand how hard it is to clean the blood?” Chan complains.

“It’s okay, Hyung. More importantly-” Jisung pauses seeing Changbin lock the door to the cage. “What the fuck are _you_ doing near him?” Jisung narrows his eyes.

“Relax Ji, I was giving him company since we’ll be gone for a while.” 

“Leaving him food and water will be more than enough company.” Jisung retorts.

“Ji, it’s okay, we’ll kill the company when we get back. No big deal. Now let’s get cleaned up.” Changbin says nonchalantly, patting the younger’s shoulder as he heads to the exit. 

“You were okay with this?” Jisung asks Chan, almost sounding betrayed. 

“Ji, look I’m sure Changbin wouldn’t do anything to piss you off. Neither of us would.” The reasoning seems to work, Jisung nods in recognition, so he continues. “You might be anxious ‘cause you’re leaving your darling alone for a while. Doc said he’ll be out for a little while longer, so the other guy might even think Mr. Lee is dead and won’t touch him.” It’s a bit of a white lie, but right now he just needs Jisung to calm down. 

“Okay…but, we aren’t treating his wounds.” Jisung nods towards the cage. 

“If he dies while we’re gone, then it’s just meant to be.” 

“Alright, I’m sure Changbin can agree to that. Let’s go finish up, then get ready for our trip.” Chan picks up Changbin’s duffle bag with one hand, slips the other into Jisungs’ and they head up the stairs.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

When Minho wakes, he still feels numb. He feels like his body doesn’t belong to him. Yet, when he intends for his hand to reach towards the cage’s ceiling it does. He stretches his fingers apart, letting it sink in that he _is_ commanding his hand. He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, every fiber in his muscle aches painfully. He notices a letter to his left, taped to what seems to be a mini refrigerator. Opening the door he sees large bottles of water, sandwiches, pizza, fruit, and a few other things. He turns his attention to the letter in his hand. _Darling, I’ll be back soon. Love, Jisung._ Minho scoffs, he’s not sure if he wants to eat anything Jisung left for him. This is the first time he’s woken up alone, and he’s never been more thankful. He’s not sure he can handle more of 3racha’s torture. 

Thoughts begin to swirl when he rereads the letter once more. _Why are they keeping me? Why am I being held here?_

He looks around to see if anything else was left and screams when he sees a body beside him. 

Minho’s chest begins to rise and fall heavily. Was this their way of saying he was next? Minho looks at the bloody body one more time, as it begins to stir. _There’s no way._ The shirt is covered in dried blood, there’s dried blood on the floor. Why is it moving? 

He hears a murmur and tries to create distance between them. With his back against the cage door, he slides up, eyes never leaving the body. He quickly turns, praying the door is unlocked, but it’s not. 

“Mmm.” 

Minho yells, watching as the body slowly pushes up. But, he stops when the person lifts their face to meet him with confusion in their eyes. 

_There’s no way._

“Min, you’re awake.” That fucking sleepy, lazy smile Minho would recognize _anywhere_. His knees buckle as he faces his ex in shock. 

“Hy-Hyunjin, what the fuck are you doing here? How the fuck are you okay?” Eyeing the other up and down, hoping Hyunjin understands what he means. 

“This...yeah...I checked myself already and I’m not hurt anywhere. There’s just a shit load of blood on me.” He laughs weakly. 

“Oh...I’m glad then.” Minho begins to feel lightheaded again, he hasn’t talked to his ex since they broke up. How did they end up in a cage together? 

“Min,” Hyunjin whispers, “I’ve missed you.” 

“Jin, we’re in a fucking cage.” He didn’t mean to use the nickname, but it naturally fell off his tongue. “This isn’t the time.” _Why Hyunjin of all people?_

“I’ve really fucking missed you.” Hyunjin’s eyes overflow with tears, and Minho knows it’ll be awhile before he stops crying. “I can’t believe I finally get to see you again, but you’re locked up in a cage…”

“You’re locked up too, Hyunjin…” Minho feels so many feelings, relief that Hyunjin isn’t hurt. Pangs in his heart, having to face his ex. 

“I n-never stopped loving y-you. I tried meeting with other p-people, but they were never you.” Minho rolls his eyes at the confession. “Then months later I find you here? What the hell have you been up to Min?” Hyunjin chokes out. 

“Well, how did _you_ end up in this cage?” Minho feels anger pulsing through him, was this another way 3racha decided to torture him? “Did you choose to be here too?” 

“N-no, I was…” Hyunjin breaks into another sob. “I-I was with someone and I don’t know w-where he is. He’s not here.” 

“Hyunjin, how many people have you been with since we broke up?” Minho asks impulsively, knowing that’s not important right now. They need to get out of the cage, especially with 3racha gone. Yet, he wants to know. 

When their scandal broke out, Minho didn’t mind. Hyunjin was his first love, the man he was proud of. The incredibly gorgeous model/actor, that was _his_. Hyunjin starred in four of his dramas, and even if they were dating Hyunjin had the talent that proved he was perfect for the lead roles he got. But, Hyunjin? Fell into panic, terrified of people knowing about his sexuality. Worse, about losing value since it had been revealed he was no longer single. 

“I don’t know.” Hyunjin says quietly.

“How can yo-”

“I just don’t!” Hyunjin shouts. “I just know none of them were you...” 

“Well, if you can’t recall, you were the one who broke up with _me_!” Minho is seething. 

“I know I did! And I regret it everyday, Min...I really do.” Hyunjin’s eyes fill with tears again, and fall silently. “I wish I could go back in time and tell myself to not care what others think but…” 

Minho wants to leave, but he literally has nowhere to go.

“Min…”

“I have no clue what else you’re going to say, but don’t.” Minho’s pulse increases slightly.

“I still love you.” Minho feels his heart crack a little. “I never stopped loving you. You’re really the only one for me.” Minho wants to run away. Talking to Hyunjin again was never his intention. Minho looks away, opting to focus his attention towards the small refrigerator. “Okay...” Hyunjin crawls into front of Minho, slowly taking Minho’s hands into his own. “Just tell me...” Minho made the mistake of looking into Hyunjin’s eyes, now he can’t pull away from the intense gaze. “Do you still love me?” 

Minho doesn’t want to answer that. How could Hyunjin show up out of the blue, confess his feelings and ask for Minho’s? That’s not fair of him, but then again Hyunjin had been reaching out to him for months and Minho constantly ignored him. Minho could have deleted the number. He could have lied and told Hyunjin he moved on.

“I do.” Minho hadn’t realized he was crying, until Hyunjin was kissing the tear trails, just like he always would. 

Suddenly they’re pulling each other closer, holding each other tighter, kissing each other with the same intensity Minho remembers and misses. Minho forgets where he is, losing himself in the familiarity of his first love. Minho feels what he hasn’t felt in months, safe and content. Maybe he should have spoken to Hyunjin sooner. 

“There’s really no way out of this, huh?” Hyunjin asks, taking his place beside Minho. 

“Yeah, I tried escaping a couple times, but they always smacked me back down.” Minho’s chewing stills as recent events replay in his mind. 

“Well I’ll protect you now.” Hyunjin said, running his fingers through Minho’s matted hair. “I can’t believe they would hurt you so badly.” His eyes lower to the burn peeking out from Minho’s shorts. 

“Jin, you don’t need to protect me. I lost you once, I don’t wanna lose you again.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Min.” 

“Hyunjin,” Minho warns, “Really, I don’t want anything happening to you. If there’s any chance to escape, take it.” 

“I’m not leaving without you.” Hyunjin says sternly. He places a lingering kiss on Minho’s lips, “Not again. We’re in this together. We need a plan.” 

Minho sighs, turning his hand over on his knee. Hyunjin understands and gingerly slides his hand into Minhos’. Minho can’t lie, he’s missed Hyunjin. He brings him so much comfort, especially now. 

He’s not alone. But, that also worries him. If anything happens to Hyunjin, he might lose it. 3racha has had no problem hurting him, what would they do to Hyunjin?

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Finally!” Jisung shouts when Chan parks the van in the driveway. 

“Ji remember we need to clean the bodies before you have your tea parties.”

“You know I’ve been looking forward to seeing Minho!” Jisung whines. 

“You aren’t the only one.” Changbin says singsongedly, from the backseat as he unbuckles his seatbelt.

“And _why_ are you excited to see Minho?” Jisung turned around to ask. 

Changbin merely smiles, in a way that makes Chan uncomfortable. “Just excited to see him is all.” Changbin shrugs. 

They grab the two suitcases from the trunk, and haul them to the front door. Just as Jisung turns the key the sound of a vehicle can be heard pulling into the driveway. 

“What the fuck is that car doing up here? How’d they get past the front gate?” Changbin asks a little breathlessly, balling his hands into fists. Chan can tell he’s nervous. 

“Just go inside, I’ll deal with them.” Chan tells them, “Don’t start cleaning yet. Just wait in the kitchen for me. Got it?” The two agree, then pull the suitcases inside with them. 

Chan strides towards the brown haired man in an officer’s uniform, stepping out of his car. “Can I help you, Sir?” 

“Yes, I’m looking for Hwang Hyunjin.” Chan blinks, the name sounds familiar, but he doesn't know him. “He’s been reported missing and his GPS location was last found here a few days ago.” The man steps around a stupefied Chan, continuing towards the house. 

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know anyone by that name.” Chan honestly says, turning to follow the man. 

“He’s in the entertainment business with you and your pals there.” The man turns, cocking a brow. “The name really doesn’t ring a bell? He’s been seen with Seo Changbin a few times.” The man scans Chan’s face for something, “I’ll just head in and ask Mr. Seo.” 

“I’m sorry, but that’d be trespassing.” Chan replies, there’s two dead bodies they just hauled in, not to mention Minho in the basement. This man _cannot_ enter. 

“Well Sir,” The man pulls out his badge. “Officer Kim. I came a long way to find Hwang. His coordinates were observed last here. I just need to ask a few questions, then I’ll leave, okay?” 

Chan doesn’t want to argue. He can’t seem suspicious, so he nods and follows Officer Kim inside. Chan closes the front door and watches anxiously as the officer looks at the basement door, then continues down the hall. He wipes his sweaty palms on his pants, and trails behind. 

He had never considered anyone coming to their vacation house before. It was set on top of the mountain, out of reach from everyone. He never anticipated an officer appearing. Had Chan forgotten about a past target? He usually assigns them to Jisung or Changbin, so he should remember the name. They have a rule to not bring outside electronics to their house. So, how would Hwang’s GPS show here? 

“Seo Changbin,” Officer Kim’s voice says from the kitchen, “When did you last see Hwang Hyunjin?” Chan reaches the kitchen to see a confused Jisung and a shocked Changbin. 

“I-I don’t- uhmm…” Changbin stutters, fingernails digging into the flesh of his palm. Chan can tell he’s trying to ground himself. _So he does know Hwang._

“Witnesses say you were last seen together last weekend. Is that true?” 

“I believe so…” 

“Do you recall where?” 

“A birthday party in Seoul.” 

“Okay, thank you for being honest with me.” Officer Kim scribbles in his notebook. “Now, have you _ever_ brought Hwang here?” 

“No, Sir,” Changbin replies, nails still digging into his palms. Then something clicks in Chan’s mind. _Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fucking Changbin._

“I see,” Officer Kim sighs, “Then, why was Hwang’s cellphone last located here?” 

Changbin’s mouth gapes a bit, “I’m not sure, Sir.” 

Chan wonders if they’re going to need to kill the officer. But, they’d need a plan to kill quickly. Do they make it look like a suicide? Killed on his way back down? Chan’s mind was whirling. 

“Oh, I found a cellphone in Changbin’s bag,” Jisung spoke up. 

“You did?” Officer Kim looks at him with interest. 

“Yeah, it died shortly after. But, I turned it into the airport staff when we left on our trip last weekend.” 

“Last weekend?” 

“Yup.” 

“The night of the birthday party, or?”

“Changbin hyung came home after the party, if I remember correctly?” Jisung gives Changbin a pointed look, to which Changbin nods in agreement. 

“Okay. And, why turn it at the airport?” Officer Kim raises a brow. 

“Because we were leaving the country, we happened to discover the phone at that moment. Thought it would be better to turn it in, rather than take it with us.” 

“Alrighty.” Officer Kim seemed satisfied with that answered, which confused Chan even more. 

“Hyung, must’ve accidentally taken the phone when they were at the party.” Jisung says, pinching Changbin’s cheek. “Silly, hyung.” 

“Alright, I’ll call the airport and ask if there was a phone turned in.” Officer Kim turns around and heads back down the hall. “Thank you for your time.” He says not turning around, and closing the door behind him. 

“Changbin, what the fuck did you _do_?!” Chan seethes through his teeth. 

“I-I really thought he didn’t have his phone.” Changbin says lamely. 

“You didn’t check?!” Jisung shouts, shoving him into the large island in the middle of the kitchen. 

Changbin winces, but quickly replies. “I _did_ check. I could have sworn he didn’t have one!”

“Let’s go check your duffle, we left it in Channie hyung’s room, right?” Jisung says, leading them up the stairs.

“Yeah if the phone is anywhere, it has to be there.” Changbin says defeatedly. 

Jisung steps into the closet to search for the duffle bag , pulling it out and dropping it with a light thud. Changbin and Jisung begin to search the bag, while Chan leans against his desk.

“Who even is Hwang Hyunjin?” Chan asked, the name sounds so familiar, yet he can’t put a face to the name. 

Changbin sighs, “The man we left with Minho.” 

“ _What?_ ” Jisung grits through his teeth, glaring at his friend. 

“Why did you even go through all that trouble to leave someone with Minho?” Chan asked, genuinely curious. “Why Hwang?”

Changbin visibly gulps, standing seemingly to put distance between him and Jisung. “I slept with Hyunjin a few times, every time he’d call out for Minho. It was a _huge_ turn off.” Jisung threw the bag at him, but he dodged it, hitting his hip against the desk. “Listen, I just thought it would’ve been fun to see what would happen if we put the two together.” Changbin rubs his face with his hands, “I didn’t think it’d turn into…” Changbin trails off when something catches his eye. His lips curl up menacingly, and Chan follows his gaze. Speechless by what he sees. 

“Turn into what?” Jisung asks, standing from the floor, pushing his way between the two. Chan gets a shiver, when the aura surrounding Jisung changes. “He’s dead.” Is all Jisung says before he stalks out of the room. 

“This is exactly what I was hoping for!” Changbin laughs loudly.

“For what?!” Chan shouts, “You wanted to piss off Jisung that badly?!”

“Nah, I just wanted to create a tragic ending,” Changbin smiles, sliding his hand into Chan’s, tugging him along. “Let’s go watch!” Changbin giggles. Chan is dreading the mess he’s going to have to clean up. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Minho never would have expected this. Casually making out with his ex-boyfriend, in a cage, after they were both captured for reasons unknown. He’s not sure how long he’s been here, before Hyunjin he spent most of his time unconscious. Now, his captors hadn’t been seen for awhile. It worried Minho how relaxed he was becoming.

There was little food left in the fridge, and still no way to leave. Yet, he and Hyunjin were making up for their lost time, by catching up on what had been happening in each other’s lives and kissing. Lots of kissing. He missed how plush Hyunjin’s lips were, how calm they made him feel. 

“ _God_ , Lee Minho,” Hyunjin’s warm breath dances between their lips, “I love you so, _so_ fucking much.” 

A smile breaks onto Minho’s face, he could almost cry. His heart feels so full, whenever Hyunjin tells him he loves him with so much emotion. “I love you too, Hyunjin.” Minho presses a kiss, trying to convey his feelings. “So, _so_ much.” Minho whispers. _I really never stopped loving you._

“Fuck, Min. We really need to get out of here.” Hyunjin says leaning in to kiss Minho once more. _We really do._ “They we ca-”

The sound of the door opening causes the two to squeeze closer together, and whip their heads towards the staircase. 

Minho was right to worry.

It was foolish to be happy with his ex-boyfriend in a damn cage, knowing his captors would come back eventually. 

“Han Jisung?” Minho hears Hyunjin say under his breath. Minho wants to reply, but he’s frozen. Something about Jisung is different. He’s staring at Hyunjin with such intent, it’s terrifying. Jisung grabs a baseball bat from the wall and proceeds to the cage door and unlocks it. 

This is the moment Minho has been waiting for, the cage is unlocked, yet he’s frozen with fear. Jisung’s eyes, his aura leaves him motionless. Minho reacts a second too late, when he realizes Hyunjin is being pried from his arms. Hyunjin’s reaction, too, was delayed. Jisung moved so quickly, snatching Hyunjin, then slamming the cage door shut again, locking it to keep Minho at bay. 

Minho yelled, reaching his arm through the bars to try and take the key ring from Jisung. Hyunjin swung at Jisung’s face, causing the other to stagger. “Jin, run and get help!” Hyunjin reached for the keys on the floor, “What the fu- ru-” Jisung’s bat suddenly grew spikes at the push of a button on the handle. “Go!” Minho shouted, as Hyunjin grasped the keys. 

Minho watched as Hyunjin’s eyes bulged when the spiked bat made contact with his head. His knees gave out the exact moment Hyunjin’s head crashed into the concrete. Minho heard clank and a small tap at his knees. _The keys._ Jisung raised the bat again, “Don’t hur-” Minho’s words were lost, as Jisung hit Hyunjin’s abdomen. Blood spluttered from Hyunjin’s mouth. 

Minho looks up at Hyunjin, who’s smiling a small smile, his lips begin to move, Hyunjin is not audible. But, Minho hears him loud and clear. “I love you.” Then the bat comes down on his head again, much stronger this time. There’s an even larger puddle of blood where Hyunjin is. Minho feels like this isn’t reality anymore. Hyunjin was just in his arms, there’s no way _that_ is Hyunjin.

He clutches the keys, Hyunjin tossed him. Jisung is still attacking Hyunjin, this is his chance to leave. Hyunjin used the last of his strength for this, Minho can run away. He can do this. He just needs to stand up. 

Which proves to be a struggle. He’s too busy curled into a ball sobbing uncontrollably. His chest is heaving, he can’t control how loud he’s wailing, his heart aches so much. Everything changed so quickly. There was nothing he could do to help Hyunjin in his last moments. He couldn’t even say I love you back. Hyunjin didn’t deserve that. Hyunjin shouldn’t have died like that. Minho’s mind runs through everything that shouldn’t have happened. He wants to rewind time. He’s too overwhelmed, it’s hard for him to breathe. His thoughts are full of Hyunjin, only Hyunjin. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Fuck, we missed it.” Changbin tsks, “You work so fast, Ji.” 

“Fuck, what a mess,” Chan exclaims looking at all of the blood on the floor. “Jisung you’re only hitting concrete now.” Jisung really made Hwang Hyunjin’s body unrecognisable. Jisung is still swinging his favorite bat at what’s left of Hyunjin’s body. He glances at Minho, he’s passed out on the floor, curled in a ball. 

“Changbin you really made a mess.” 

“Ji never said I couldn’t hurt Minho emotionally.” Changbin shrugs, walking towards Jisung. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Chan warns. 

“Jisung, it’s over.” Changbin shouts. “The guy’s dead, calm down.” Jisung keeps swinging.

Chan walks over, “Jisung, _Minho_ is hurt.”

Jisung’s swing slows down, then he drops the bat. He looks up at him, and Chan gulps. The youngest looks like he’s still in a trance. “What’d you do?” Jisung asks, taking one step towards him. 

“Nothing,” Changbin says, “We just needed you to calm down.” 

Jisung walks towards the cage to examine Minho. He nods, satisfied. He looks back at the mess he made. “Fuck, no one’s gonna want to buy _this_.” 

“I can’t believe you just completely ruined one of my best fuck-buddies.” Changbin smirks. Chan can tell this ended _exactly_ how Changbin wanted. 

“Well, go find yourself another one.” Jisung steps in front of Changbin, hand gripping the elder’s collar, bringing them face to face. “And don’t you _dare_ bring them home next time.” Changbin shakily concedes. 

“Okay, now _that_ is settled.” Chan throws his arms around his friends, “Let’s clean this shit up. Shall we?” 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

When Minho wakes he’s alone. He sits up and looks around. Not a single person in sight. The puddle of blood that was in front of the cage is no longer there. 

His fingers splay over the spot Hyunjin occupied during their brief time together, he wonders if Hyunjin was ever really here at all. It all feels like a dream. He wraps his arms around himself, disappointed he’s not instantly filled with comfort. 

_Maybe if I had never ignored his calls none of this would’ve ever happened._

_Maybe if I didn’t try to pretend I was doing just fine without him, none of this would’ve happened._

What-ifs whizz through his mind all melding into one coherent conclusion.

It’s all Minho’s fault. 

A sob breaks out of him, he does his best to contain it, but soon more follow. He finds himself, again, shaking and breathing heavily. 

“Hello Sleeping Beauty!” Minho doesn’t look up, he just continues to fail at controlling his sobs. “Aw c’mon, don’t ignore me.”

Minho didn’t notice Chan had begun setting something up until he heard a large plop, and felt a gust of air hit him. He looks up at Chan who continues laying a rug down, the fur curtain is drawn back once more. Minho’s focus blurs as his mind begins to wander. What does Chan plan on doing? Was Chan going to do something to him? Was he going to be like Changbin or Jisung? How did he end up with such insane people? 

Then there’s a recognizable metal on metal sound, then the cage door opens. Minho looks up to see Chan reaching for him, he quickly tries to back away, but Chan takes hold of his arm. 

“No struggles, okay? Be glad I had the decency to wait until you were awake, unlike the other two.” Minho was right, he’s nothing but a toy. 

He weakly struggles in Chan’s grasp. He doesn’t want anyone that’s not Hyunjin to touch him. He goes rigid, when a sudden thought pops into his head.

 _What am I living for now?_

Maybe he could go back to directing. But, Hyunjin was gone. Hyunjin’s last words, last moments constantly replay in his mind. He can’t unsee them, how is he supposed to move forward, when Hyunjin no longer can. And it’s all his fault. 

Metal cuffs are placed around wrists, the ominous click brings Minho’s attention back to the current situation. The handcuffs have a thin cord attached to them that extend all the way to the ceiling. _Have those always been hanging there?_

“Here, so you can be comfortable.” Chan laughs, pushing Minho to the ground, so he’s on his knees. “Now, don’t move.” Chan warns as he pulls on the rope in his hand. Minho gasps, shocked at the sudden upward tug on his wrists. Minho’s hands feel like they’re about to be ripped off. His plan to stand is immediately thwarted when Chan places a foot on his back, keeping him in place. The pain on his hands increases due to Chan weighing him down, tears start to pool in his eyes. His hands raise uncomfortably until Chan stops pulling on the rope. 

“I said don’t move,” Chan says coldly, “Didn’t I?” Minho bites his lip, and gives a small nod. Chan stands, then walks to the fur curtain and pulls out a drawer at the bottom. Then he turns back, lifting a knife with his right hand. It gleams intimidatingly, and Minho’s jaw slacks. “Now, as long as you don’t move, you won’t lose _too_ much blood.” 

Minho’s mind races, he can’t imagine what’s going to happen. Blood? They need more blood? They had enough of Hyunjin’s. 

He’s sure Chan’s crazy. Possibly crazier than Changbin. He’s not sure what it is, but something in Chan’s eyes. 

_He’s going to kill me._

Chan examines his thin blade, then meets Minho’s gaze. “It’s been awhile since I’ve done this without the intention to kill, so I’ll try to go slow.” 

_He’s not going to kill me..._ Minho feels conflicted hearing that. Maybe he wanted to die. 

“If we killed you, Jisung would kill us.” Minho’s stomach churns remembering Jisung swinging the spiked bat. 

“First, let’s get rid of your clothing, shall we?” He presses the knife into the collar of Minho’s shirt, then runs it towards the belly button. Minho’s breathing quickens at the sight, the knife grazes along his skin creating a trail of goosebumps and tiny cuts. Then, Chan easily lifts Minho and turns him around, cutting the rest of the shirt off. Suddenly the cord slacks, and his stomach and chin collide with the plush rug, arms still slightly elevated in the air. 

“Your skin is so lovely,” He runs his hand slowly down the spine. “And smooth, Mr. Lee.” Chan does the last thing Minho expected. A kiss is pressed to his shoulder, then to his neck. “Fuck Minho, no wonder Jisung is obsessed with you.” His stomach flops. 

Minho doesn’t want this. It’s not Hyunjin. He pulls on his arms, wanting to break free from the handcuffs, but to no avail. 

“What’s wrong, baby?” Chan laughs, “The more you struggle, the more painful this will be. I can promise you that.” Minho’s body becomes rigid.

“You know Hwang Hyunjin was quite the beauty.” He sneers, while slowly pressing his blade into Minho’s shoulder. “I can see why Changbin used him as a fuck buddy.” Minho’s breath quivers, hearing Hyunjin’s name. Chan drags the blade slowly on the curve of the shoulder and along the tricep. His smile grows at the blood he’s eliciting, adding more pressure as he continues to the forearm. “You know, I heard he was a _slut_ .” Chan presses the blade deeper causing Minho to wriggle. “And you decided to date _that_ of all things?” Chan scoffs. 

_That?_ Minho squirms more, trying to get onto his knees. He’s overcome with the urge to scream in Chan’s face. He tries to flip himself over, but the blade in his arm is plunged in deeper and he screams from the pain instead. Chan tsks, “I told you not to move, now look at what you’ve done.” Minho can’t see his arm, but he feels the blood gushing out and dripping. 

There is a prick at his hip, then another trail of blood is slowly being paved. “Are you upset I called Hwang a slut?” Chan chuckles, “I’m not lying though. He _was_.” Chan says bitterly. Minho feels anger building. He wants to reply, but he can’t seem to find his words. He wants to fight, but he can’t seem to move either. Why can’t he move his body the way he wants to? 

“If you think about it though, Mr. Lee, how did Hwang become such a slut?” Chan asks, removing the blade from its current spot under Minho’s armpit. Chan maneuvers Minho, so he’s laying on his back, arms still slightly elevated. His devious smile grows bigger, “Wasn’t it because of _you_?” Suddenly, Minho feels like everything has stopped.

“If you didn’t break up, he never would’ve resorted to sleeping with others. He never would’ve met Changbin. He never would’ve met _us_. Isn’t that right?”

It’s like a switch flipped in his mind. His body has gone limp, and the world seems further away. 

_If I had answered Hyunjin’s calls quicker, Hyunjin wouldn't have met Changbin._

_If I didn’t decide to start attending public events to pretend I was living my best life, I never would’ve met 3racha._

_If only I wasn’t so stubborn, Hyunjin would be alive._

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“Well fuck,” Chan laughs amusedly, “He’s become unresponsive. Jisung won’t be happy with this.” Chan traces random lines on Minho’s abdomen, pushing harder in random places to draw more blood, hoping for any response, but receives none. Minho's eyes are glazed over, like he’s a completely different world. “Maybe it was too soon to mention Hyunjin…” He didn’t realize how mentally weak the director was. 

“Hyung, we might have-” Chan sets down his blade and stands, when he sees Changbin approaching. “Oh, so you can stab him half to death, but I can’t even give him a little burn.” Changbin complains. 

“Binnie, you gave him a second degree burn.” 

“It’s only second degree!” 

Chan sighs, “Probably would’ve gotten worse, if Jisung didn’t stop you.” Changbin rolls his eyes in response. “Did you come down to help me clean?” 

“Of course not,” Changbin says, eyeing the small puddles of blood soaking the rug, “We might have a problem.” Chan cocks an eyebrow, and Changbin continues. “Doc said Officer Kim contacted him about Hyunjin. Apparently, his secretary mentioned that Doc visited recently.” 

“And what did Doc say?” Anxiousness washes through him. Doc is neither friend nor foe, they merely exchange services. 3racha supplied whatever human part he wanted in exchange for forged medical records, or in rare instances house visits. There’s no way, Doc would rat them out, but Chan feels uneasy regardless. 

“That he came to check our friend’s condition.” 

“That’s it?”

“And that as a doctor he can’t share patient information.” 

“Okay...” Chan knows they’ve got to start thinking of something to get Officer Kim to stop investigating them. 

“What should we do?” Changbin asks, “Should we get rid of the officer if he comes?” 

“No, no.” Chan shakes his head. “That’ll really make us targets.” Chan sighs, looking back down at an unresponsive Minho. Then, to Changbin who brought Hyunjin, thus creating a whole other mess. “I’ll think of something, don’t worry Bin. First, let’s clean up this mess.” Changbin nods, and Chan frustratedly picks up Minho. He hopes the director will wake up soon, otherwise Jisung will be one more thing he has to deal with. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

A faint melodic humming gradually becomes louder as Minho begins to regain consciousness. He opens his eyes a smidge, seeing his once again dress covered lap. Once again propped against the giant teddy bear, he leans further into its softness. 

“Ah, it’s about time you came to. I’m beginning to think you have sleeping beauty syndrome.” Jisung scoffs from across the table. Minho tilts his head up to better see the man in front of him. Hissing when he feels a searing pain on his left calf.

Jisung looks annoyed, “Changbin burned you last night while you were sleeping.” Minho’s eyes widened, he scrunched up the hem of his dress to see the newest burn. He feels nauseous, it looks much worse than others he’s received. _This happened while I was sleeping and I didn’t wake up?_ “No worries, Changbin has a matching burn now.” Jisung sounded proud, eyes glinting with a bit of humor in them. 

Jisung points at the teacup in front of Minho, then lifting his own. “Earl grey. Drink up, darling.” Minho cringed at the pet name. Suddenly he’s remembering Hyunjin. Many memories and thoughts zoom through his head. It gives him a headache. 

“Did you hear me?” Jisung’s stern voice causes Minho to jolt. He quickly reaches out his hands for the cup, then cradles the teacup to his chest. Jisung smiles softly, sipping his tea. Minho is intimidated by Jisung’s stare as he slowly brings the cup to his lips. 

The basement door can be heard opening, Jisung rolls his eyes. “Channie hyung, didn’t I tell you to leave me alone when I’m with Minho?” Chan doesn’t reply. Minho grows anxious, seeing Jisung fuming at the lack of response. “Cha-”

“Lee Minho. Director. Whereabouts unknown, deemed missing for almost two weeks. Hwang Hyunjin’s ex lover.” Minho sees a man, dressed in all black, gun attached to his waist. “Ain’t that right, Han Jisung?” If Minho isn’t mistaken, that’s a cop. 

Jisung’s eyes squinted with disgust, jaw clenched, “You’re trespassing.” 

The man pulls out a paper, “I’ve got a warrant. So, I let myself in.”

“To do what exactly?” Jisung rises from the table, walking towards the other man. Minho continues to gawk. 

“To bring Mr. Lee back home.” Minho unconsciously brings his knees into his chest, and holds them tightly. _Home? A home without Hyunjin?_ “Also, to bring you and your friends into custody. We’ve got to ask about Hwang Hyunjin.” _Hyunjin? He wants to know about Hyunjin?_

“You’d only need to talk to Changbin then.” Jisung begins walking towards the drawn back fur curtain. 

“Nope, you too.” Jisung freezes and turns to eye the man. “You lied when saying you turned the phone into airport security.” The officer said. “One, you said the phone was turned in much earlier than the GPS signal was actually located here. Two, you’re playing dress up with the missing director.” 

“What’s wrong with having tea with Minho?” 

“The fact that you’ve kidnapped him would be the problem.” The officer points at Minho. 

Minho gulps, and tries to speak up. He wants to confirm with his own mouth he doesn’t want to be here. Talk about the torture he’s gone though. What happened to Hyunjin. Though, he’s begun trembling, unable to find his voice, or bring himself to stand. 

“He hasn’t been kidnapped!” Jisung shouts, “He’s here because he wants to be with _me_!” Minho is confused, why would Jisung say that? 

“Well he’s coming with me.” The officer locks eyes with Minho, walking his way. Minho wonders if he’s really being rescued. Was it supposed to be this easy?

“Not another step.” Jisung’s aura has changed again. Tears begin to prick at Minho’s eyes, remembering the last time Jisung was like this. 

“Is that a threat, Han?” The officer asks, hand hovering the gun at his waist. “Or are you ready to tell me why Hwang came to this location.” 

“I already told you. Hwang was never here.” Jisung grits his teeth. 

Something in Minho flips. _Hyunjin was never here?_ He looks at Jisung, furious. _Never here?_ “You fucking liar! He _was_ here! He was with _me_!” Minho screams, he feels lightheaded. “Never here?! You killed him!” Minho starts coughing, tears are falling uncontrollably. He curls into himself, head to his knees, clutching his throat and chest. His whole body aches. How could Jisung deny Hyunjin was ever here? Was he going to pretend Hyunjin never existed?

“Is that so?” Minho hears the officer say.

There’s a loud bang, followed by another. Minho looks up with a blurred vision. He can’t tell what’s happening. Suddenly, there’s weight on him. He squeezes his eyes shut, then opens them again. The officer is keeled over Minho, gripping his bleeding shoulder. He looks up at Jisung, hand pressed into his abdomen. 

Jisung's head snaps up, and they lock eyes. Jisung looks down, hand slapping around on the ground. The officer winces, grasping the gun tightly in his hand, quickly standing again, pointing his gun at Jisung. 

Minho watches with wide eyes, jolting when he hears another bang. But, the officer above him groans, hands rushing to nurse his thigh, kneeling beside Minho. The gun drops into Minho’s lap, another shot is fired, the officer groans again, fully collapsing this time. Minho looks up, gripping the gun. 

“Officer Kim, you shouldn't have just let yourself in.” Chan is seething, by the basement stairs. Minho feels like he’s going to puke. Everything is happening too quickly, he can’t keep up. Chan takes another step, pointing the gun towards the officer. Minho’s heart is thudding so hard in his chest. He grips the gun, raises it at Chan, and clicks the trigger four times. Minho was sure his shaky shots missed, but he feels a rush of relief when he sees Chan fall to the ground, blood flowing from his head. 

“Hyung!” Jisung yells, walking to his hyung’s side, examining the damage. Minho fires the gun two more times. Both miss Jisung, but glass shatters in the background. “What the fuck, Minho?!” Jisung yells, raising his gun, but not firing. “Fuck you.” Minho fires two more times. Missing twice more. But, the fur curtain engulfs in flames, as well as the liquid on the concrete. “Are you really trying to ki-” Jisung words are cut off by a splutter of blood, when another bang occurs. 

“Let’s get out of here,” Officer Kim says, reattaching the gun he snatched back from Minho in its holder, after shooting Jisung in the throat. Minho shakes his head, and everything starts spinning. “Got no choice,” The officer grabs his wrist, “The place is on fire.” Minho wordlessly, pulls his hand from the officer’s grip. Then, he begins throwing whatever he can into the fire to make it bigger. “You crazy, bitch.” 

Something in Minho wants to ensure Chan and Jisung die in this fire. Especially Jisung. Maybe he’s doing this for Hyunjin. Maybe it’s for himself. He’s not sure. The officer yanks his wrist again, “You’ve done enough. We need to leave now before we get caught in this.” Minho doesn’t think he’s done enough, he wishes he could find the gasoline. He lets the limping officer lead him up the stairs, and exit the house. 

The brightness blinds him. The outside world is incredibly foreign. He’s being pushed into a car, and he’s in awe at how blue the sky is. He turns around at the place he had been living in, feeling a sense of achievement when he sees smoke escaping from one of the windows. 

The officer ripped off his undershirt to quickly create makeshift tourniquets for his wounds. Soon after, the car engine comes alive, and they start driving away. Minho watches until the house is no longer in sight. When he can no longer see it, he’s overwhelmed by too many emotions. Relief. Fear. Loss. 

“I know this won’t sound sincere, but thanks for surviving.” The officer says from the driver’s seat. Minho looks at the man, features much clearer with the sun shining through the windshield. He’s got such soft eyes, they remind him of Hyunjin. There’s giant blood soaked stains on his shoulder and thigh. Fresh blood is also bleeding through the tourniquets. 

Minho examines himself, wondering he’s he looks just as disheveled and wounded. His dress has random blood on it from the officer, and is torn in some places. He’s also still trembling. “Hyunjin…” Minho weakly whispers. 

The officer’s hand appears in Minho’s lap, sliding into his hand, rubbing small circles with his thumb. Minho’s tears fall, and he turns to look out the window. There’s an endless stream of trees passing by, Minho can’t believe he’s not in that basement anymore. 

“I don’t think you’re up for talking, so just listen to a few things,” The officer says. “One, I was looking for Hyunjin, but found you instead,” He gives Minho’s hand a squeeze. “Two, I think it’s best you stay with someone for a while because you...went through a lot I’m sure,” Jisung smashing a Hyunjin’s head flashes through his mind, and he feels dizzy. “Three, we don’t know where Changbin is because he didn’t come to the basement. It’d be safer if you were with someone. Just in case.” 

Minho had forgotten all about Changbin. His free hand runs through his hair and grips at its roots. _Would Changbin try to kill me?_

“It’s okay, we’ll keep you safe.” Minho looks over at the man, staring for a few seconds. “Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Seungmin.” The man’s eyes remain on the road as he speaks. “I’m-was...Hyunjin’s best friend…” Minho’s eyes widened slightly. He tries to recall if Hyunjin had ever mentioned a friend named Seungmin. 

Then he remembers, “Seungie…” 

“That’s me!” Seungmin laughs weakly, “I’m bringing you to our other best friend. I don’t know if Hyunjin ever mentioned him?” Minho looks at him curiously. “Jeongin?” 

Minho blinks a few times, “Jeongin, his brother?” 

“Ah, Hyunjin would say Jeongin was like his little brother.” A sad smile appears on Seungmin’s face. “But, we’re on our way to see him. So, do what you need to do. You’re safe now.” 

Minho interprets that as his cue to allow things to sink in. He pulls his feet onto the seat, knees into his chest. He doesn’t currently feel completely safe, but he lets himself sob. He thinks of Hyunjin. How he misses Hyunjin. How Hyunin died. Chan’s words echo in his brain. It really is all his fault. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Well, hopefully you aren't too  
> upset with the ending..  
> I left it kinda open ended   
> cuz I might make a part two.  
> Thank you so much for reading,  
> if you made it this far!~


End file.
